Elevators, for stoppers and caps for pharmaceutical products as well as for other small discrete products, are designed to transfer these objects to additional equipment such as capping machines and the like. They are designed for high-speed automated assembly processes and, in the pharmaceutical industry particularly, a great concern for sterile working conditions is noted. Elevators are used because in many instances the following equipment using these small discrete objects employs gravity feed and gravity transfer mechanisms as the caps or other objects are combined with other parts in the total assembly process.
In addition to the need for extremely sterile conditions in the pharmaceutical industry, it is also necessary that elevators of this type operate efficiently and rapidly. It is well known that the rate of production in automatic assembly is a major factor in the economics of such production. A simple, efficient, rapid delivery system which is capable of transferring small discrete objects such as bottle caps or stoppers to an elevated position for depositing in further processing equipment is needed.
Often times the small discrete objects which are being transferred by such an elevator device come directly from sterilizing means which provide a totally sanitary and sterile product. The operating elevator should then be capable of functioning in a sterile room and should be capable of being refilled easily and quickly to continue production without interruption.
At the present time, a fully automatic, versatile, economical and dependable stopper elevator for the pharmaceutical industry is not available. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an efficient operating device for transferring small discrete objects such as pharmaceutical stoppers and caps in a manner which is more reliable and efficient than has heretofore been possible.